Study Desk

"So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disasters on you. I will destroy the whole family of Judah.

The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives did what you said you would do. You said, ‘We will certainly keep the promises we made. We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen Goddess and to pour out drink offerings to her.' So, go ahead. Do the things you promised, and keep your promises.

But hear the word of the Lord . Listen, all you Jews living in Egypt. The Lord says, ‘I have sworn by my great name: The people of Judah now living in Egypt will never again use my name to make promises. They will never again say in Egypt, "As surely as the Lord God lives... "

"This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch:

"But that day belongs to the Lord God All-Powerful. At that time he will give those people the punishment they deserve. The sword will kill until it is finished, until it satisfies its thirst for their blood. The Lord God All-Powerful will offer a sacrifice in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.

The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Very soon I will punish Amon, the god of the city of Thebes. And I will punish Egypt, her kings, her gods, and the people who depend on the king.

This message is to the country of Moab. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "How terrible it will be for the city of Nebo, because it will be ruined. The town of Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the strong city will be disgraced and shattered.

You trust in the things you do and in your wealth, so you also will be captured. The god Chemosh will go into captivity and his priests and officers with him.

The people of Israel trusted that god in the town of Bethel, and they were ashamed when there was no help. In the same way Moab will be ashamed of their god Chemosh.

I will soon bring terror on you from everyone around you," says the Lord God All-Powerful. "You will all be forced to run away, and no one will be able to gather you.

"Announce this to the nations. Lift up a banner and tell them. Speak the whole message and say: ‘Babylon will be captured. The god Bel will be put to shame, and the god Marduk will be afraid. Babylon's gods will be put to shame, and her idols will be afraid!'

The Lord says, "At that time the people of Israel and Judah will come together. They will cry and look for the Lord their God.

Whoever saw my people hurt them. And those enemies said, ‘We did nothing wrong. Those people sinned against the Lord , their true resting place, the God their fathers trusted.'

So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "I will punish the king of Babylon and his country as I punished the king of Assyria.

The Lord has opened up his storeroom and brought out the weapons of his anger, because the Lord God All-Powerful has work to do in the land of the Babylonians.

Listen to the people running to escape the country of Babylon! They are telling Jerusalem how the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deserves for destroying his Temple.

"Babylon, you are too proud, and I am against you," says the Lord God All-Powerful. "The time has come for you to be punished.

But God is strong and will buy them back. His name is the Lord All-Powerful. He will surely defend them with power so he can give rest to their land. But he will not give rest to those living in Babylon."

God completely destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them," says the Lord . "In the same way no people will live in Babylon, and no human being will stay there.

The Lord God All-Powerful did not leave Israel and Judah, even though they were completely guilty in the presence of the Holy One of Israel.